Sunday, 31 July 2016

Today I shall be remembering Edward Cohen, my great-uncle, who died on this date serving with the 12th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers in the Battle of Pilckem Ridge, the opening attack of the Third Battle of Ypres (Passchendaele).
He was one of 6,525 who died on that day, including 91 from his battalion according to www.cwgc.org. Like 70 others of his battalion his body was not recovered and his name is on the Menin Gate.
He was awarded a posthumous Military Cross which was donated to Queen's College, Cambridge, where he had been a student.
The Third Battle of Ypres eventually cost a quarter of a million British Empire lives.
Read more about Edward Cohen at http://theyserved.wikia.com/wiki/Edward_Cohen

Learn how the patchwork of Ottawa Valley settlers from 1820 evolved over many generations to become legendary in song and story.
The Algonquin College Pembroke Campus is offering Cultures of the Ottawa Valley, a six class course given by Terry Currie, a former history teacher at Almonte District High School, starting 11 October.
Find out more at http://xweb.algonquincollege.com/pembroke/.

I found out about this course as I've agreed to give a one-off talk, Family Secrets Revealed by DNA at the Pembroke Campus on the evening of 4 October. No doubt I'll find another opportunity or two to mention it again.

These are indexes from Kirk Session material of the Church of Scotland, other Presbyterian churches, and also the registers of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). They are taken from Maxwell Ancestry's Scottish Indexes site at www.scottishindexes.co.uk/ where you will find a variety of other Scottish record sets on a free to search, pay to view a full transcript basis.

A remote corner of Beechwood Cemetery, Section A, is the location of a new Commonwealth War Graves Commission gravestone.

More than a century after his death John Kenneth McLean has his name on the stone alongside that of his friend John Royston who died in the same swimming accident in the Ottawa River. I'd previously written an update on the situation here.

It appears the stone was installed without ceremony there being no close living relative. Here is a summary of the information I found while attempting to locate relatives.

John Kenneth McLean (JKM) with a birth registered in the March quarter of 1897 in Islington, 1b 197, is the only person with that name with a birth registration in all of England and Wales from the start of civil registration in 1837. The other information available correlates with him being the right person.

He appears to be the same person as JKM in the 1901 census in Islington with mother Alice E McLean, a widow age 33. Her daughter Constance B McLean, age 3, is also in the house and like JKM her birthplace is Holloway, London. The newspaper report of John's death mentions he had a living sister.

If that is the right entry then JKM's parents are likely John William McLean and Alice Ellen Raymond, married in the March quarter of 1896 in Islington (1b 396), There is a birth registration for a Constance Beatrice McLean in Islington registered in the March quarter of 1898 (1b 232).

There is a death registration for a John William McLean, age 27, in Hackney in the March quarter of 1900.

There is a marriage entry for Alice E McLean in the September quarter of 1901 (1b 704) to either Albert Henry Rietiker or William Swain.

Alice Ellen Rietiker was buried on 14 January 1904 in Islington cemetery.

JKM and sister should be in the 1911 census in England; I've not found them nor any subsequent record of the sister.

There is an immigration record for John McLean, age 16, clerk, leaving Liverpool on 6 June 1913. for Quebec on the Virginian and a corresponding record on arrival.

Ancestry has a First World War report on enlistment for Albert Rietiker dated 26 August 1915 showing he had a deceased wife Alice Ellen McLean and daughter Alice Myrtle Rietiker born 23 Dec 1903 who would be a half sister to JKM. Her birth is registered as Alice Myrtle Rietiker in the March quarter of 1904 in Islington (1b 191). She is in the 1911 census with her father, a widower, and his two unmarried sisters.

There is an entry for John William McLean in the BIFHSGO home child death database referencing Report - Dr. Barnardo's Home - 1920, Annual Report. Barnardo Old Boys who died during WW1. Canadian Contingent.

Albert Henry Rietiker was buried on 28 July 1921 at Islington Cemetery.

Alice Myrtle Rietiker is in a 1930 electoral register for Islington at 206 Fairbridge Road together with Mary Jane Rietiker (one of her aunts).

There is no marriage for anyone named John K McLean in England until 1947 in Leeds, which would be late, and there are a couple of more likely John K McLean births that would be a better fit for that marriage.

Alice Myrtle Rietiker was not found in the 1939 National Registration or in a marriage after 1930.

Friday, 29 July 2016

A list of the 22 TNA record series included in Findmypast's England & Wales, Crime, Prisons & Punishment, 1770-1935 risks provoking that eye-glazing look. Most are from the HO (Home Office). This update adds 2,518,039 records for a total 5,514,003.

Expect to find records that duplicate the same information. I found what appeared to be much the same information in records from PCOM2 and HO140 for a relative convicted of selling fake Beecham pills. One gave the additional information he was convicted in Clerkenwell, the other he was incarcerated in Wandsworth.

If inspiration equates to being smart then Edison finds support from a study by Robert Plomin, professor of behavioural genetics at King’s College London.

Genetic data from 20,000 DNA variants across several genes collectively account for 10% of the differences in children’s educational achievement age 16. At the most extreme ends of this genetic variation is an entire exam grade difference—from A to B grade for those with the highest polygenic score, to B to C grade for those with the lowest.

The Wellcome Library has digitized volumes relating to various UK psychiatric institutions. The material dates from the 18th to the 20th centuries and includes: patient records such as registers and case notes, photographs, administrative documents, hospital staff data, artwork and publications produced by patients and staff.
There is material for: Ticehurst House Hospital East Sussex), The Retreat (York), Gartnavel Royal Hospital (Glasgow),St Luke's Hospital (London), Priory Hospital (Roehampton, London), Manor House Asylum (Chiswick,London), Holloway Sanatorium (Surrey), Camberwell House Asylum (London), Crichton Royal Hospital (Dumfries). There are also papers related to individual physicians and organizations.
For the Camberwell House Asylum there are three volumes with hand-written patient records. For volume 2 and volume 3, from March 1847 to June 1853, I found a index. The list below consolidates the patient indexes for those two volumes in alphabetical order of surname. If you find one of the 933 names of interest go to the appropriate volume, then it's a matter of zeroing in on the page.